Cannabis Flavonoids: Intro & Their Role in CBD Products

Flavonoids are natural compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other beneficial effects.

They’re found in a wide variety of plants, including cannabis, and contribute to the vibrant colors of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. For example, flavonoids called anthocyanins produce red, purple, and blue hues. 

Alongside cannabinoids and terpenes, flavonoids play a role in the benefits of CBD and other cannabis-derived products. Research in this area is just beginning, but the early findings are promising.

Here’s what you should know about flavonoids, their interplay with CBD, and how you can find flavonoid-rich CBD products. 

Types of Flavonoids

Depending on their structure, flavonoids can be divided into six main classes: flavanones, flavones, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and isoflavones. In cannabis, the two most common ones are flavonols and flavones (1).

Flavanols

Flavanols are a subclass of flavonoids abundant in bananas, apples, blueberries, peaches, pears, and other plants (2). Consumption of flavanols is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (3). 

Flavones

Flavones are another subclass of flavonoids, which are rich in celery, parsley, red peppers, chamomile, mint, and citrus fruit peels (2). Flavones are also the main type of flavonoids found in cannabis plants.

Cannaflavins

There’s also a special class of flavones called cannflavins, which are only found in cannabis (although one of them has also been found in the flowering plant Mimulus bigelovii) (1). They include cannflavin A, B, and C, with research suggesting potent anti-inflammatory effects. 

One study found that cannflavins A and B were about 30 times more effective than aspirin at inhibiting PGE2, a molecule involved in inflammation (1). 

Another advantage of cannaflavin A is that it doesn’t suppress cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes as strongly as aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs, which can cause side effects such as stomach ulcers. 

Studies have also found other beneficial effects, including anticancer, neuroprotective, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties.

Benefits of Flavonoids

Research suggests that flavonoids have a wide range of potential health benefits, with the most notable being: (4)

• Antioxidant Effects: Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that can protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.
• Anti-inflammatory Effects: Flavonoids have notable anti-inflammatory effects. 
• Cardioprotection: Flavonoids may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Neuroprotection: Flavonoids may protect neurons from neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Cancer Protection: Flavonoids can suppress cell growth and have anticancer properties.

Flavonoids and the Entourage Effect

After cannabinoids like CBD and terpenes, flavonoids are the third most important group of active molecules found in cannabis. The synergic interactions between this trio are known as the entourage effect. It explains why whole-plant cannabis preparations seem to offer greater benefits than pure CBD or THC (5).

One 2001 paper by esteemed cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan Russo proposes several ways flavonoids could synergize with cannabinoids: (6)

• Counteracting or working together with THC by affecting certain enzymes and the inflammatory molecule TNF-a
• Recycling CBD as an antioxidant
• Synergizing with cannabinol (CBN) by downregulating the inflammatory NF-kB pathway

But research in this area is in its early stages, so we don’t know too much about the role of flavonoids in the entourage effect. 

Flavonoids in CBD Products

Since CBD products are derived from hemp, which is a CBD-rich variety of cannabis, they can also contain flavonoids. 

In particular, full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD products should contain multiple flavonoids because they contain whole-plant extract (7).

In contrast, products made with pure CBD isolate, like pure CBD oil, don’t contain any flavonoids or other compounds besides CBD. 

Common CBD Flavonoids and Their Effects

Researchers have identified at least 26 flavonoids in cannabis (8). The ones most commonly found in cannabis and hemp-derived CBD products include: (4)

Flavonoid	Effects	Also found In
Quercetin	Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, cardioprotective	Onions, grapes, berries, cherries, citrus fruits
Apigenin	Anxiolytic, neuroprotective, potential for depression and epilepsy (9)	Parsley, chamomile, celery, oregano, tea, wine, and other plant sources
Kaempferol	Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, potential for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease	Green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale), herbs (dill, chives)
Luteolin	Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, neuroprotective (10)	Celery, parsley, broccoli, onion leaves, carrots, peppers, cabbages, apple skins
Cannflavins A, B & C	Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective, antiviral, antiparasitic (1)	Unique to cannabis

Finding CBD Products With Flavonoids

If you’re interested in trying CBD products with flavonoids, choosing full-spectrum or broad-spectrum formulas is important. These products contain all of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids found in the hemp plant, which work together in synergy to strengthen the effects of CBD. 

An even better option is to use hemp flower because it’s unprocessed and will thus contain the highest levels of both flavonoids and terpenes.

Flavonoids Matter

Flavonoids are natural compounds found in plants, including cannabis and hemp. They have been shown to have a wide range of potential health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. 

However, we don’t yet know much about the role of flavonoids in cannabis and particularly their involvement in the entourage effect since most of the current research has focused on cannabinoids and terpenes.

If you want to benefit from flavonoids in CBD products, you should opt for whole-plant, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum options. In particular, I recommend high-quality full-spectrum CBD oil. 

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